Trace-lock



(No Model.)

J. R. GONNELL.

TRAOEULOGK.

No. 252,019. Patented Jan. 10,1882.

' construction of improved trace-locks pivoted to UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. GONNELL, or PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TRACE-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,019, dated January 10, 1882.

Application filed November I, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. CoNNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trace-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the details of the the end of the trace-bar, the object being to provide a lock for this purpose which permits of attaching the trace to the whiffletree with great facility, and which affords perfect security against any danger from accidental unfastening of the trace.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a. plan view of a whiffletree having thereon trace-locks constructed according to my invention. of the interior of the lock-case, showing the spring and the end of the trace-bar, the latter partly in section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the whiftletree having the lock thereon, the bottom plate being partly removed from the latter and the end of the tracebar shownindotted lines. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of the trace-bar. Fig. 5 is a view of one end of the whiffletree, showin g a transverse section of the trace-lock. Fig. 6 is a perspective "iew of thelock-spring.

In the drawings, B is the whiffletree. a is the trace-bar. bis the trace-lock. e is the tracelock case. 0 is the trace-lock bottom plate. 6 are steady-pins on case 6. 0 is thelock-spring. v are turned-down corners on plate 0.

My improved trace-lock consists of the case 0, of an oval form and concavo-convex in crosssection, to the inner face of which are secured the steady-pins '11 of the spring .0, whose four ends are bent downward to make its center stand up away from the inner face of case 6,

when placed therein in theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and of the bottom plate, 0, which with the T-shaped trace-bar a to complete the I Fig. 2 is a plan view trace-lock, as follows: Said trace-ba-ris secured by one end to the end of the whiffletree B in the usual manner, and in cross-section, near its end, is of the form shown in Fig. 2 at the line w m, Fig. 5,'and is provided at its extremity with a cross-bar, n.

In practice I employ the case e, constructed, as shown in Fig. 3, with two steady-pins, t, therein, and when thus madethe parts of the lock are united with and upon the end of the trace-bar, as follows: Into said case e is placed the spring 0, with one edge of its long arms against the pins i and its short arms extendin g toward the sides of the case. Thus placed, its central portion is highest, and may have a spring motion toward the case under it. The

end of the trace-bar a is next placed upon.

spring 0, with one side of the cross-bar n next to the steady-pins t, and over the extended ends of said cross-bar n, and astride of bar a, is next placed the slotted bottom plate, 0, and it is there secured to the rim of case 6, or to the pins 2', or to both. The turned-down corners v on said plate 0, when the latter is placed on case 6, as above described, stand opposite to the pins 2', and the latter, together with the corners n, constitute abutinents on each side of the cross-bar n, to hold the latter and case 0 in proper relative positions and to keep spring 0 properly under the end of bar a'.

In Fig. 2 are shown the pins 13, seton each side of the cross-bar a. This construction may be adopted whenever it is thought preferable to employ said pins instead of theturned-down corners v on plate 0 for abutments to said crossbar.

When the above-described parts of the tracelock and trace-bar have been assembled, as set forth, it will be found that upon attempting to turn the look I) over,so that its faces are on a line, or nearly so, with bar a, spring 0, bearing against the end of said bar, will act to retain the lock in the position shown at the left in Fig. 1; but when it has been turned over to the position shown at the right in said figure said spring will have been carried from the end of bar a over against the side of the latter and of cross-bar n, and the lock b will thereby be retained in the last-named position, which is the one which permits of passing'the trace over it easily onto the bare, and when the trace is thereon and the look has been turned I plate, 0, having the abutments v thereon, and back, as at the left in Fig. 1, spring 0 retains the trace-bar a, provided with the cross-bar n, it in that position and eifectually secures the substantially as and for the purpose set forth. to

, trace to the whiffletree. JAMES R. CON N ELL.

5 What I claim as my invention is- Witnesses:

In combination, the case 6, having the stead y- .WILLIs B. FOSTER,

pinsi therein, the spring 0, the slotted bottom GEORGE E. HODGDON. 

